ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: squash · ball · leaves · march · kick · spring · shower · bay

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. spring — a coil
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. squash — to crush
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. march — the month
  9. shower — rain
  10. spring — the season
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. shower — to wash
  13. squash — the sport
  14. march — music
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. ball — a dance
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. spring — of water
  19. ball — a great time
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. march — the month
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. kick — in football
  24. leaves — lets stay

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com